Kwaidan
by jo taylor
Summary: Daniel, recently returned to his physical form, is hearing voices. Is he accessing memories of his ascenscion or is he being haunted?
1. Chapter 1

KWAIDAN - A weird tale.

Kwaidan: stories and studies of strange things.

Daniel, recently returned from Ascension is hearing voices. Is he recalling vital memories or is he being haunted?

Chapter 1of 8

Daniel shut the door to his apartment with a sigh. It had been a very long day. The faint odour of fresh paint still hung in the air, sharing the atmosphere with the musty smell of books stored too long and an underlying tang of beeswax. Dropping his keys on the table he hung his jacket in the closet, and made his way to the kitchen.

As he waited for the coffee to brew he let his thoughts drift back over the day. His damned Swiss cheese memory had played him for a fool yet again. So many major things were now fully restored and at his mental fingertips, and yet the silliest things sometimes still eluded him. Standing in the commissary he had surveyed the day's culinary selection dubiously, realising that in this simple matter he couldn't remember what his preferences were, but give him a translation of the most obscure dialect and he knew every nuance. Thankfully Teal'c had been behind him, stopping him from making the wrong choice. His careful reminder that 'Daniel Jackson' was allergic to that particular dish saved everyone a very uncomfortable time.

The wonderful aroma of fresh coffee brought his wandering thoughts back. Grabbing a handful of cookies from the jar he settled himself on the couch. He still wasn't used to the layout or the unfamiliar view but this was home now. He had fought hard to get off the base, finding the four walls of the guest-room claustrophobic. He had argued that if they trusted him enough to go through the Stargate on missions that could save the Earth then surely they could trust him to get to and from his own home.

The frustration he felt now was a huge improvement on his initial feelings. The time he had spent as Arrom had been terrifying. To have no sense of self had been almost overwhelming. He had clamped his emotions down so hard that he couldn't feel a thing, and that was how he wanted it, how he needed it. Should he let go, even for a moment, he had the absurd feeling that he would shatter into a million pieces to be flung from one end of the galaxy to the other, never to be restored. He still felt that way though he was sure the others didn't suspect anything. His head told him these were his friends, that he could trust them with his life; and he probably would, but his heart was lost in some limbo. His returning memories had crowded him with loss after loss, battering at his senses until he wanted to scream and shout and punch his fists into the nearest wall. A side of himself that must never be let loose. Instead he showed the world a calm face, gave them measured tones and the occasional smile, hiding himself deeper and deeper.

A second cup of coffee relaxed him a little, contrary to the usual effect of caffeine on his system. He munched another cookie and mused that Sam had been right, he did like them. And that was another thing that he found so damned confusing, his relationships within the team. From his returning memories he knew just how things had been between them, all the dynamics, all the emotions, but he found himself still judging everyone and everything by his first impressions as 'Arrom'. Though he knew that he and Jack were good friends, that he could trust his life to the colonel without a second thought, it had been to Teal'c that he had gone for information. The stoic Jaffa wouldn't hide the truth from him in order to 'spare his feelings'. He had asked Teal'c to explain what had led to his expulsion from his other existence; and he had been given them in all their damning details. His failure to save Abydos, the place he adored most in the galaxy, had been spectacular in its fall out, gone because of him. In his arrogance and desperation he had underestimated Anubis.

Sitting in that tent, waiting for the world to crush him, he had made snap judgements about his erstwhile team. Jack had a wall around him that Daniel could almost see, and that sat at odds with the relationship he now knew they had shared. And then there was Sam. He sighed out his frustration. Closer than brother and sister, friends in a way that he had never experienced with a woman before, she was very dear to him. His initial thought when he had seen her, seen the concern in her eyes as she approached him that first time, had been just how beautiful she was. Even though he didn't know who she was he had felt connected to her somehow, and the question had slipped past his lips before he could stop it. Now, every time he saw her, his heart gave a lurch that was an uncomfortable reminder that they were not close in that way and never had been… and never would be.

Musing was getting him nowhere. Downing the last of his coffee he found a knife and began opening the boxes stacked around the room. Most of his stuff had been stored at the base, with some at Jack's place and the rest in Sam's basement. And although Jack had said they had disposed of a lot of it, from what Daniel could remember most of his possessions were still here. Books took up most of the packing cases. As he unearthed them, he let his fingers trace down each spine, opening pages to glance at various passages before arranging them on the brand new shelving. Daylight faded outside his window and soon he needed the lights on to continue. Working diligently he finally had all the books sorted and up in their rightful place - just the last of the artefacts to unpack now. His clothes had been given to the goodwill and a brand new set of clothing now hung in the closet and rested in the drawers. He missed some of them; his favourite jeans, the cream sweater Sam had bought him one Christmas, silly things considering that he had no right to expect them to save anything of his.

He made fresh coffee and perched himself on the couch once more, pulling forward a small box marked fragile. He skimmed down the length of the tape with care, and opened it curiously. The only thing he remembered being particularly fragile in his collection had been some Egyptian pottery and a glass vase Nick had brought back from an Etruscan dig, and they had already been put away safely. Layers and layers of soft packing lay on top of a selection of carefully wrapped small objects. Daniel plucked the first one from its cocoon and uncovered the artefact. Frowning, he turned it over in his hand. A netsuke; and a very fine one at that. The ivory, yellowed with age, emphasised the quality of the workmanship. He set it down on the table and tried to remember where he had acquired the piece. He thought he recognised the image, Hotei, one of the seven gods of luck in Japanese mythology. A happy looking fellow with his huge bare belly hanging over his loin-cloth. It was the only one he did recognise. He moved to the next object uncovering another netsuke, and then another, until he had a collection of twelve standing on the table. Each one was exquisitely carved and each represented a Japanese deity or mythological creature. Try as he might, Daniel could not recall ever having collected them. His studies into Eastern and Far Eastern myths and legends had been but a passing glance; his passion had been for Egypt and European studies. He turned the box over and studied the printing on the side. He didn't recognise the writing, but that didn't mean anything. Although half the boxes had been packed by Jack, Sam and Teal'c, the others had been by any passing service personnel they could rope in to helping.

Leaving them aligned on the table he headed to bed. Perhaps in the morning his obstinate memory would come up with the answers.

He slept badly, waking time after time to the feeling that he was not alone. Once, he even went so far as to turn on the bedside lamp; his room was, of course, empty. By the time his alarm announced a new working day Daniel had given up on sleep. Even now, with daylight beginning to lighten his room, he had the odd sensation that something was with him, that there had been a vague whisper of a voice that died as the first rays of sun hit his windows. As he got ready for the day he considered what it could mean. Was his memory trying to reassert itself perhaps? Was this something that he needed to know; was it relevant to a mission as had been his recall of Bra'tac's plight? Or perhaps the apartment was haunted he mused, smiling ruefully at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

He had put the coffee on before he hit the bathroom and now downed a mugfull before rushing out the door, running late. On the coffee table the netsukes that he had left standing upright the night before lay scattered across the table-top. Two had landed on the floor – in his hurry he didn't notice.

Traffic was surprisingly bad for that hour of the morning and he was aware of the time dragging by with each traffic report on his radio.

As he stepped out of the elevator he was greeted by Jack's dry, "You're late. Hammond called a briefing for 0800."

Daniel checked his watch, cursed and made a run for the locker room. He didn't think the general would appreciate him turning up in his civvies.

For all his rushing he was still too late. As he hurled himself up the steps he almost collided with the colonel about to make his way back down.

"You're too late," O'Neill stated, slapping a folder against Daniel's chest. "Read, learn and digest… or not. We're through the gate in," he glanced at his watch, "fifteen minutes."

"But!" Daniel watched Jack's retreating form with a stunned expression. It was Sam's touch on his arm that brought him back.

"You okay, Daniel? It's unlike you to miss a briefing."

He turned to catch the slight frown on her face. He'd seen that expression too many times since his return, and always aimed at him. It was about time he pulled himself together.

"Traffic up here was hell this morning. Accident." He gave her his best 'I'm fine' smile.

"Let's get our kit, I'll fill you in on the way." She was already heading away from him, and he hurried to catch up.

"SG7 checked this planet out over two months ago, there was no obvious signs of Goa'uld occupation; everything seemed very quiet. Then, last night, the gate activated itself; nothing was received that we know of. No emissions, no signals, and nothing hit the iris. We checked all the systems and this is the origin of the dialling signal."

As he walked along beside her, Daniel had begun to flick through the folder. Surveillance photo's showed a garden similar to the style of a Japanese temple or palace. A wood structure dominated the scene. Nothing in any of the pictures showed any Goa'uld influence.

Entering the locker room, they began to kit up.

"Did the team encounter the natives?" Daniel inquired.

"No. They searched the whole of the grounds, no sign of life at all but everywhere was spotless." Sam shrugged into her jacket and bent to pick up her weapon. Daniel was still rooted to the spot, eyes speed-reading the dossier. "Daniel!"

He looked up.

"Your kit. The colonel's going to be waiting."

"Right. Coming." Tossing the folder to one side, he finished getting ready and followed Sam's eager steps.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of 8

SG 7 had said the place was beautiful, but Daniel had still not expected the assault of colours and fragrances that swamped him the minute they stepped through the gate. Unlike other planets they had visited, the stargate here was situated in the centre of a gloriously vibrant garden. Warm sunshine bathed the flowers and trees, casting shadows that enticed the traveller to their shade. It was so wonderfully peaceful that Daniel felt a sudden rush of anger as the colonel urged them forward.

"No time to stop and smell the flowers, Daniel. Get your ass in gear. We've got two hours. Temple's that way." Using his weapon the colonel indicated the direction to take, and headed off at a brisk pace, Carter following close behind.

"Are you not coming, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c queried, noticing Daniel's obvious reluctance to leave the quiet area.

Daniel looked up from his contemplation of the dainty flowers beside the pathway and caught a strangely understanding look in the big Jaffa's eyes. Teal'c saw more than they ever gave him credit for, he realised suddenly. He nodded and moved ahead, taking his usual position.

Although he had seen the recon photographs nothing had prepared him for the sight of the temple ahead. Surrounded by sand and pebble gardens interspersed with tiny little streams of water the wooden building bore a striking resemblance to the temple on Kheb, though not in its actual layout, more in the feel of the place. His pace slowed until he was stationary, just staring at the façade and wondering how he was going to make himself enter the open doors. For a brief moment he could feel again the gentle weight of Share's son in his arms. Could see and feel the sympathy of Oma as she had taken him from him. The desolation of that moment lived again in his heart. At his side his fists clenched, short nails digging into his palms. He breathed in deep and slow and let the tension release as he forced his fingers to relax.

Ahead, O'Neill had stopped, one booted foot resting on the first of the wooden steps that led up to the open doors. He turned to check if Daniel and Teal'c had caught up only to see Daniel standing stock still, staring at the edifice with haunted eyes.

"Carter," he said softly catching her eye. He nodded in Daniel's direction, an unspoken command to bring Daniel along. He'd seen that look in the linguist's eyes too many times and the only way to remove it here and now was to appeal to the scientist in him. Carter could snap him out of it – he hoped.

She trotted back to where Teal'c still stood at Daniel's side, exchanging a look with the Jaffa before reaching out to touch the archaeologist's arm.

"Daniel?" Sam's eyes rested on his, drawing him back. He caught the concern in her eyes and did his best to raise a half-hearted smile.

"Is there anything we should be aware of? Any rules we might break?"

He forced the uncomfortable memories back into the recess of his consciousness; time enough to face them when he was back on Earth, where he could be alone with his thoughts. He took another good look at the temple and noted for the first time the colonel's heavily booted foot that rested on the lowest step.

"Ah, this looks very much like a Japanese influence. I don't know much about the culture, but politeness would indicate you take off your shoes before entering. It might also be considered a sacrilegious act in some societies - and if this is Japanese influenced…" He raised his eyebrows pointedly as he stared at his commanding officer.

O'Neill grimaced and removed his foot from the step until he no longer 'defiled' the temple. "Carter, get your boots off. Teal'c and I'll keep watch out here, you and Grasshopper can go in and check it out."

"Yes sir." Sam moved to sit on the steps and began unlacing her boots. Daniel came and joined her, casting a quick glance her way as Teal'c and the colonel began a perimeter sweep. "Grasshopper?" he said sotto voce and found himself grinning at her obvious struggles to keep from laughing - and found the last of his tension dissipating.

"You remember…?"

"Oh, yeah. But I don't think I can walk on rice paper just yet, might take a little practise."

She grinned at him conspiratorially. "Well if we find any I promise to tell the colonel you floated right across it!"

There was a covered veranda that ran in either direction before disappearing around the side of the building that would have to be checked before entering. Sam headed up the steps, and walked toward the far left corner of the building leaving Daniel to take the other sweep.

He stayed sitting on the steps, strangely reluctant to move. The swish of silk on wood echoing from the top of the stairs above him startled him into swiftly standing. Turning round he stared up at the petite woman who gazed back at him with infinite calm.

She was stunningly beautiful, like a porcelain doll; her oval face with its rosebud mouth and chocolate eyes was perfectly framed by her jet black hair piled on top of her head. Her kimono was of a brilliant white that dazzled the eye with reflected sunlight and Daniel was suddenly glad that they had removed their boots when he saw her tiny pink toes peeking out from below the silk of her gown.

"Hello. My name is Daniel Jackson. My friends and I are explorers from Earth. We came through the Stargate." He gestured behind him to the gardens where the Stargate was visible.

Even as he spoke the diminutive woman had bowed and backed her way through the open doors. Daniel turned to where Sam was now heading back to his position, waiting for her to join him before moving to the stairs to follow the ghostly figure into the temple depths.

"I thought that SG7 didn't find anyone here?" Daniel's voice was hushed as he mounted the stairs.

Sam's voice was equally quiet as she replied. "Not a sign, and no welcoming committee."

The sudden switch from bright sunlight to the comparative darkness of the reception room temporarily blinded them. Both stood still for a moment, letting their eyes adjust to the gloom. As the darkness receded Daniel stared around him in wonder. On each wall hung representations of the elements; each portrayed with a few strokes of paint, abstract and yet perfect. At the far end of the room sat a square box in front of which a bowl of water stood. Daniel knew enough about the religious beliefs to understand that this place was dedicated to the departed. He was doubly thankful that he had insisted on the removal of their heavy boots.

"No signs of technology," Sam said softly. The atmosphere of the building did not encourage either of them to speak above a suitably reverent whisper.

"I can't believe the Goa'uld would leave this place untouched," Daniel replied equally softly. He moved quietly forward, eyes scanning the walls in search of anything that might give a clue as to why this place had been spared.

Sam had moved to the door opposite to that through which they had entered, poking her head out into the sunshine.

Daniel went to stand beside her and found himself entranced by the view.

Sam interrupted his reverie. "I'm going to have a closer look at that box, might be something there."

Eyes never leaving the aspect, he said quietly, "Just don't touch anything, I think this is a shrine to the dead."

She nodded, even though he didn't see it, and left him to his contemplation. Since his return there had been times when Sam was uncomfortably aware that he sometimes drifted away from them. At odd moments he would be struck by a memory, or a feeling and she could almost see him tighten up as he fought to keep control. The pain in his eyes made her want to put her arms around him, and hug him, to try and ease some of his burden. But there was a tension between them now that she didn't understand. There were moments when everything seemed back to normal, a quip, a one liner, that was just as before, and then she would turn to find him lost in thought, or gazing at her with an unfathomable look in his eyes that he would banish with a half hearted smile.

Outside the hall was an inner courtyard that drew Daniel forward like iron filings to a magnet. Filling the space was a garden of such beauty he found it hard to breathe. A pathway ran across the gravel to a pool at the far corner, shaded by what he thought was a cherry tree in full bloom. He stepped out onto the first of the slabs that trailed between the exquisite designs that had been lovingly traced into the fine gravel, bare feet absorbing the warmth from the stepping-stones. His eyes were drawn to the still water of the pool, dotted here and there by fallen petals. As he moved closer he felt suddenly cocooned in a sense of serenity and calm that was so much more overwhelming that the sensations he had experienced on exiting the gate. Everything around him disappeared, fading into the background as he stepped closer to the water.

Colonel O'Neill was not a fanciful man, as he would be the first to admit. Neither was the Jaffa who paced by his side, his whole body radiating alertness. But both were assailed with the feeling that eyes were upon them, watching, judging. It set the hairs on O'Neill's neck vibrating, and he didn't like it at all. Not that he felt any sense of danger at this time, his radar for trouble was usually pretty reliable, but this sense of being observed was setting his hackles rising. He glanced over to the tall man beside him.

"You feel that?"

"Feel what, O'Neill?"

"Someone's watching us." The colonel's gaze swept the landscape once more. There was no hiding place big enough to hold a man. He'd checked every tree for cameras or devices of any kind; there had been nothing. Not that he thought it was surveillance of that nature, this felt more intimate.

"I believe you are correct, but they are extremely well hidden."

"Yeah."

By now the two men had almost returned to the Stargate having circled the temple in a clockwise direction. They had found nothing and yet still Jack's inner radar was giving off warning signals. His finger caressed the trigger of his rifle uneasily. Glancing down at his watch he cursed, time seemed to have slipped away somehow. He would recommend a return to this planet in his report: there was something about this place…

"Let's check out Daniel and Carter, see if they've come up with anything. We've only got another twenty minutes before Hammond expects us back." He headed briskly to the stairs beginning to climb them when Teal'c's impressive voice halted him.

"Colonel O'Neill, Daniel Jackson said it could be an insult to enter the temple wearing our boots."

Teal'c tended to only use his full title when he really wanted to get his point across. Jack checked his ascent with a gruff curse that boded no good to linguists and archaeologists everywhere, and his civilian in particular. Retreating he sat to undo his laces as Teal'c calmly kept watch then picked up his weapon as the Jaffa took his place and also removed his footwear.

"I hate this," Jack muttered under his breath as he and Teal'c plunged into the dark interior.

"Where's Daniel?"

Sam had got used to that query from her commanding officer. Not that Daniel was quite as bad as he used to be for wandering off; it seemed to be more habit on the colonel's part now.

"Inner courtyard, sir." She nodded toward the opening that led into the gravel garden.

O'Neill nodded and took a good look around the bare room. "Anything?"

"Not really. Daniel thinks this is a funerary shrine of some kind. There's no technology here and no people that I have seen, still…"

"Yeah, eyes watching you?" Jack's voice sounded loud in the empty space. They had both been in too many situations to ignore their gut feelings. "I'll get Daniel, you two get back to the gate. Start dialling up. This place gives me the creeps."

Something fluttered past Daniel's face, distracting him from his almost mesmeric contemplation of the pool. Wings beating softly, a huge butterfly danced in front of his face. Red and black with a startling white mark in the centre of each design, it was, as everything else he had encountered here, stunningly beautiful. Without conscious thought he held out his hand, moving with all the care he could muster, and the butterfly descended, landing so gently on his palm that he was hardly aware of its weight. It moved slightly, its tiny feet tickling his palm. Daniel held his breath, fearful of disturbing the delicate rapport.

Daniel's eyes drifted over the elegant sweep of wings and antenna trying to absorb the beauty of the butterfly. As he stared, breathing carefully, he would almost swear that he could hear an echo of a voice. Not those of the rest of the team still within the building but coming from much closer. Slowly he turned his head letting his eyes travel around the surrounding sides of the building. Apart from the entrance he had used only one other door was visible, but he could see no one standing within the darkness. And then he heard it, almost clear in his head. _"Daniel-san."_

"Daniel! Time to go." Jack's voice came crashing through the stillness and Daniel started, the butterfly fluttered up and away leaving him feeling strangely bereft.

Treading carefully across the stones, Daniel stored up what he was going to say to the colonel when they got clear of the temple. He did not see the flutter of white that darted back from the door in the other side of the complex, nor hear his name called again in soft entreaty.

Frustrated, tired, and more than a little angry, Daniel made his way home that night with a simmering sense of… well he wasn't sure what. The debriefing had been less than satisfactory. General Hammond had seen no reason for SG1 to return to the planet. There had been no technology to barter for, no one to barter with for that matter, and Daniel found himself unable to mention the woman in white that he had seen. It appeared that he had been the only witness to her greeting, and somehow that made him more than a little uncomfortable.

There had been no sign of the Goa'uld, nor any indication that the civilisation that had been there was advanced in any way. Though the Ancients had obviously been there at some time in the distant past, going by the age of the Stargate. Jack had requested a return just because he had been frustrated and sure that there was someone there; that they had been observed by some means. Without the incentive of weaponry or technology of some sort, Hammond had vetoed a return. It cost a small fortune each time they fired up the gate, Daniel knew that, and he knew that Hammond had to vouch for each trip through. He sighed his frustration once again, slamming the car door and making his way up to his apartment. Something inside him wanted desperately to return, but infuriatingly he couldn't put his finger on why. Was it the serenity he craved, or… he had the strangest belief that there was something he needed to do there, something that his damned memory was holding back from him.

In the darkness he made his way across the room to turn on the side lamps, not wanting the glare of overhead lighting, it was then that he saw the scattered netsuke. Slowly he made his way around the table to where two lay on the carpet. Had he knocked them over without realising? He picked them up, looking closely to be sure there was no damage. One, a representation of a woman, seemed almost familiar now. Perhaps he had acquired these pieces after all? He stood them up once more and fell to studying them, getting no further with his recall than before. In the morning he would have to go on-line and see what he could find out about the various designs, as he was sure that nothing in his collection that would be of any help.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of 8

"_Daniel-san."_

He shot up in bed, hand reaching for the light switch, flooding the room with its pale glow. There was nothing there. Sliding open the bedside drawer he removed the gun he had taken to keeping there. Throwing back the covers, ignoring the robe hanging behind the door in his haste, he padded naked through the apartment, checking room by room – nothing. He returned to the living room and glanced down at the table, once again the netsuke were scattered across the top and he knew, dammit, that he had left them perfectly aligned when he had retired that night.

Running his fingers through his hair he cursed long and fluently in as many languages as he could summon up, trying to vent some of his frustration.

"Okay, someone is playing games with me." His eyes travelled around the room once more. Maybe there were speakers hidden away, if so he'd find them, starting with the bedroom. Feeling suddenly vulnerable in his nakedness, he dressed quickly, tucking the gun into his waistband. For the rest of the night Daniel virtually tore the apartment to pieces, removing every item from every shelf, checking behind mirrors and artefacts on every wall, even down to unscrewing the fittings – there was nothing.

By the time the sun rose Daniel was coming to the belief that there were no hidden devices and nothing technological to explain the whispering voice or the moving netsukes. Which left him with only two options, either he was imagining things - and that was a worrying thought, or he was being haunted. He was a scientist and he did _not_ believe in the paranormal, which left him prey to doubts. Frustrated he finally fell into the shower and then made his way back to the mountain to start another day, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

It was the rhythmic tapping that attracted Teal'c's attention first. Pausing outside the partially open door to Daniel's laboratory he listened to the rap, rap, rap, head tilted to one side as he tried to decipher what was causing the sound. Something behind the door fell with a loud thud, followed by a string of expletives, unusual enough behaviour from the normally controlled linguist that he pushed open the door. He caught Daniel getting up from the floor his arms laden with a jumble of papers; more lay scattered all around him, along with folders of various shades. Even a book or two had made it to the ground, something Teal'c had never expected to see in this room.

Jaffa and Archaeologist contemplated one another for a long moment before Daniel dumped his load on the desk, straightened his glasses and grimaced.

"I suppose you're wondering what happened?" Daniel began, crossing his arms almost defensively across his chest.

"Something has disturbed you, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel's eyes shifted from his friend's steady gaze to travel around the room until it was impossible to ignore the unspoken command to talk. He moved to sit on the stool indicating to Teal'c to take a seat also. For a moment he fiddled with the papers on his desk, marking time. It was ridiculous, he had to face this problem head on as he had every other, but the thought that he might be losing his mind was a terrifying one.

"Teal'c, you know me pretty well by now, right?"

A stately inclination of the head.

"Do I believe in ghosts?"

"You do not," came the reply. Rather more emphatic than Daniel would have liked.

"Then what would you say if I told you I thought I was being haunted?" Tension thrummed through every molecule of Daniel's taut body.

The Jaffa seemed to give consideration to the question before replying with more conviction than Daniel had really wanted to hear.

"I would be most surprised. You have never evinced any belief in the world of spirits."

Something in the other man's tone caught Daniel's attention. He didn't think they had ever had a conversation regarding the paranormal and he had no idea if Teal'c held any beliefs in that direction. He didn't want to offend the Jaffa should he hold strong feelings on the subject.

"I don't. At least I didn't think I did - now I'm not so sure. The only other explanation I can come up with doesn't bode well for my future."

The dry, ironic tone was not lost on Teal'c. "Will you not share your concerns?"

Well there really was only one way to tell this story, Daniel thought. "I'm hearing voices, or at least I think I am. And things are being moved in my apartment." There, it was out for the Jaffa to make of what he will.

"Is it only in your home that this occurs?"

The calm reply went some way to allay the fear in the linguist's stomach. Still, he had to admit now to having heard that same voice on their last mission.

Teal'c observed him for some moments before replying. "You have searched your home for devices?"

Daniel's wry smile was answer enough but he spoke anyway. "I took the place apart last night and I couldn't find a thing. I don't think there is anything to find."

"Could this be memories resurfacing? Something from your time as an ascended being?"

The question was a logical one, practical as always from his friend, but again he had to deny the premise.

"I don't think so. Why would the netsuke move? Unless of course I'm sleepwalking as well as hearing voices!"

"Netsuke? I am not familiar with this term."

Daniel flicked on his computer screen and showed Teal'c what he had been researching. Not that he had had any success in tracking down all the figures that currently resided on his table. One still eluded him, the figure of a woman dressed in white. There were others, female, who almost but not quite fit all the criteria. His failure to solve even this comparatively simple mystery was frustrating the hell out of him. Research was his forte; this should not be defeating him.

"How did you acquire these items?"

Daniel's eyebrows rose in surprise. "They were with the rest of my stuff you guys packed up. You don't remember seeing them before?"

"I do not."

Both sets of eyes returned to the screen in contemplation.

"I believe you should share your concerns with O'Neill. If your security has been compromised then he must be informed."

"Informed of what?" Jack's voice caught both men by surprise.

Before Daniel could open his mouth the Jaffa was speaking. "Daniel Jackson is hearing voices. It appears his home could have been breached." He paused for a moment, and then added, "Or he is being haunted."

It all went downhill after that. It was hours later that Daniel, with the colonel and Sam, entered his apartment. The state of the rooms told its own story. He hadn't been kidding when he said he had taken the place apart.

Sam's soft, "Wow," did little to mediate Daniel's discomfort as he surveyed the damage he had caused just a few hours before.

Jack gave Daniel a searching look, and then began issuing orders. "Right. Carter, get the equipment out. Let's do this the professional way."

Daniel moved to the window, propping himself against the sill, and watched as his team-mates went over every inch of his home. He was pretty sure they would come up empty handed. Two and a half-hours later his confidence was justified, not that that was any consolation.

They were all edgy, O'Neill in particular it seemed. He picked up one of the netsuke and turned it between his fingers. "And you say it all started when you unpacked these?"

Daniel nodded. "I left them all standing upright and when I got home they were scattered across the table. The night before I had the distinct impression there was someone here. There wasn't. I checked."

Sam picked up another of the small carvings, her forehead creased in a frown. "I'm sure I've seen these in an inventory somewhere, something brought back by one of the other teams." Her eyes suddenly opened wide as she recalled where. "SG7. These came from…"

All four were immediately cast back in their minds to the temple set in beautiful gardens. The eerie quiet of the place.

"We have to go back!" Daniel's voice sounded loud in the sudden silence.

Jack's voice of reason did not appeal to Daniel's sudden overwhelming need.

Two days of psych evaluation only confirmed Daniel's opinion of McKenzie. The man was an idiot. And after wasting all that time the man had agreed that Daniel was mentally sound - all things considered.

Daniel had stood over the doctor while he typed up the report, snatching it out of the printer when he was done, and promising to deliver it personally to General Hammond.

For two nights now, Daniel had woken to the sound of a soft feminine voice whispering his name in the darkness. He had put the Netsuke behind glass the first night, only to find them on the floor the next morning. He had gritted his teeth and returned them, this time locking the sliding glass doors. It made no odds. The next morning the doors had been open, and the figure of the lady in white had been lying on the floor at his bedside.

Daniel rapped on Hammond's open door and stepped in, McKenzie's report in his hands. "General, can I see you for a minute?"

Hammond laid down his pen and indicated for Daniel to take a seat.

Wordlessly Daniel handed over his psych review and watched the general's face as the older man read.

"There's nothing wrong with me. I'm not going mad. I'm not stressed. I _am _frustrated at the fact that no one seems to believe me when I tell them strange things are happening in my apartment. Things that I strongly believe are linked to P95 KL8."

Daniel was about to continue but General Hammond raised his hand.

"You have to understand, Doctor Jackson, that we have no corroborative proof that these things are happening."

Daniel was stunned. Tone rising he stated firmly, "You have my word, general."

There was a significant pause while the general seemed to consider his answer. "Until you can bring me something more concrete I can't authorise the expenditure. The resources of this facility are not unlimited."

The finality of Hammond's tone left a chill inside Daniel. The general wanted proof? The general would get proof.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of 8

In his office deep within Cheyenne Mountain, Daniel logged onto the Internet. Instead of searching for his elusive netsuke he now turned his quest toward an expert in either netsuke or Japanese mythology, preferably a combination of the two. Sixteen pages later he found reference to a Professor of Ancient Civilisations currently touring the USA. Daniel eagerly scanned the schedule and cursed. The man had been in the area just two days before on the last stop in his lecture tour. The online flyer gave details of Doctor Bryant's background, interests and the fact that he would be returning to England to take up his post at Oxford University as head of the History department. Much as Daniel liked the idea of travelling to England, he doubted Hammond would be quite so accommodating as to let him leave the country on such short notice. There again, perhaps the professor had not left the US just yet?

Twenty minutes later, after calling in favours and talking very nicely to Sergeant Amanda McCabe, Daniel had a phone number.

Sun shone down on the museum steps where Daniel waited impatiently for Doctor Bryant to arrive. The voice at the other end of the phone had sounded younger than Daniel had expected from someone about to take up such a high profile post. Overnight he had taken the unknown netsuke and stood it on the bedside cabinet. It was the last thing he saw when he finally fell asleep and the first thing he had seen when he opened his eyes that morning.

The figure had not moved in the night.

No voice had called his name.

Doubt had then begun to set in, and on his journey into the city he had wondered if he were being a fool. Now, in the bright light of day, he was about to lay himself open to a total stranger.

"Doctor Jackson?"

The cultured voice emanated from a tall, thin man, who was eyeing him curiously. Dark eyes were set under almost white eyebrows, a startling combination along with the almost bald pate that shone in the sunlight. The man had to be sixty if he were a day, and yet the jeans and plain tee shirt did not look wrong. There was something eminently vibrant about the man that attracted Daniel. Long ago, when he had first discovered his love of the past, it had been a man just like this who had nurtured that need within him. He smiled warmly and held out his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Bryant. I appreciate your taking time out of your holiday to help."

Bryant's smile was as engaging as the rest of him. "My dear boy, you could not have been more welcome. I love a good mystery, don't you? It's why history is so much fun. And please, call me Peter. Now, tell me all about your lovely lady."

They made their way to a nearby coffee shop and were lucky enough to find a table near the back of the room, away from the crowds. Out of habit, Daniel had scanned the faces of the people around him, noting the eclectic mix. Backpackers and museum staff rubbed shoulders with the locals in a hubbub of muted conversations. He sometimes missed the diversity of his student days.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Bryant raised an expectant brow in Daniel's direction. Slowly Daniel pulled out the netsuke and carefully unwrapped it. Now that it came to it, he found it difficult to let the ivory pass from his hand. It fit in his palm as thought made for him, its subtle warmth a tangible link between them.

He opened his hand and let Doctor Bryant pick up the object.

"Beautiful. Exquisite carving. And old, very old," Bryant murmured as he turned the female carving with sensitive fingers.

Daniel had a mad urge to snatch it back, but instead he linked his fingers on the table in front of him, the better to control them.

"I've not seen this particular deity before - if she is a deity of course. There's something about this netsuke…" Bryant's voice trailed off as he closed his eyes. Watching closely, Daniel saw frown lines appear on the old man's brow, the lips purse as though in deep thought. When the professor's eyes finally opened there was a puzzled look in them that made Daniel's heart beat a little faster.

Gently, Bryant placed the netsuke back in Daniel's now outstretched hand. For a moment there was silence between them, Bryant's finger tapped lightly against the table top as he eyed the man opposite him.

"Are you a very modern young man, Daniel? What is your background, your speciality? How open are you to beliefs, legends?"

Daniel's grip on the netsuke tightened for a brief moment as adrenalin surged through his system. "I'm pretty open to most things, Peter. My love of the past started with Ancient Egypt and expanded from there."

"So you're familiar with the Book of the Dead, the journey between worlds," he stated. "And the belief that there is a life after death. Good."

Daniel waited, keeping his impatience at bay. Peter's eyes roamed the crowded room then came to rest on Daniel. "Let's take a walk."

With the netsuke carefully re-wrapped, Daniel dropped it back into his pocket, his fingers lingering for just a moment before releasing it.

Across from the museum was a park that, although busy in the warm sunshine, offered more privacy than the coffee house. As they strolled along the meandering pathway Doctor Bryant made a strange confession.

"In my youth, a long time ago now," he began quietly, "I was fascinated by the thought that the dead were somehow still with us. I was considered eccentric at the time, still am on occasions, though really it is an advantage when taking up a Chair!" Peter grinned at Daniel, then continued. "But my interest did not wane over the years. I became involved with a group of other likeminded individuals who tried to touch the other side. From there my interest in other psychic phenomena grew –it's what made my study of ancient history all the more interesting."

Daniel nodded encouragingly.

"Well at least you're not laughing – yet." Bryant took a breath then continued. "I have some small ability. Not one that I can control in any way, though I've tried, believe me. On occasion, when I least expect it, I can pick up a sense of events and personalities from an object. Your netsuke, it has something about it. I could be wrong, but I feel it might have been, or possibly still is, a Shintai."

Daniel scoured his mental filing system and came up empty. "It's not a term I've heard before, Peter."

"No reason why you should, my boy. Japanese mythology is not your forte."

A quirk of the lips was all Daniel would allow himself in response to being called a boy. At his age, with his history, he hardly considered himself young any more. Still, the appellation was charming and acceptable from the man walking at his side. Daniel felt very much the pupil at that moment and found it somehow soothing to relinquish his 'fount of all knowledge' role for a brief spell.

"Shintai, hum, not an easy concept I suppose, though one that is prevalent in most cultures. I only use the word now because your lady is most definitely Japanese. It's a general term for a vessel that holds an invisible deity. A connection between deity and believer. For instance sticks are used in the phallic cults in that the stick is the Shintai of phallicism, and of roads."

Daniel held up his hand for a moment. "What do you think this has to do with my netsuke, professor?"

"Ah, sorry, did I launch into lecture mode? My friends find me a sad trial; the least thing sets me off. I can't help it though, I find it all so fascinating."

Archaeologist, linguist, scholar, all that made Daniel who and what he was, found himself in total agreement. "I understand - occupational hazard."

The two men shared a knowing smile.

"Now then, back to your lady. I'd say she's at least two hundred years old. The quality is superb. She is certainly not a well known deity, I don't recognise her at all, though there are millions of them so that's not really surprising. She could be someone's household goddess, or an ancestor of great standing. All I can say is that I felt something from it. A mere hint of a female spirit. Not evil in any way that I could tell." Peter stopped in his tracks, forcing Daniel to do the same. "If you are serious about discovering if this is a Shintai then there is someone I could put you in touch with. Her abilities far outstrip my own. And if there is a soul trapped in that netsuke, well, it's about time they were freed, don't you think?"

Daniel found himself thinking hard as he parted company from the professor, a name and contact number scrawled on the back of his receipt from the coffee shop. He had shaken hands with the Englishman and was headed back to his car when Jack slipped into step beside him.

"What the hell! What are you doing here, Jack?" Torn between anger and exasperation Daniel kept up his swift stride.

"So who was the old guy?" Jack ignored Daniel's question as he easily kept pace with the younger man.

"You mean you don't know?"

"I recognise that, that's sarcasm, right? So who is he?"

_What the hell, Daniel thought._

"He's Doctor Peter Bryant, Professor of Ancient History, soon to be of Oxford University and an expert on Japanese mythology."

"And…?"

"And he thinks that maybe there's a spirit trapped inside the netsuke." Daniel replied reluctantly. He liked the professor and did not look forward to him being the butt of the inevitable scorn Jack would pour on his theory.

"Right," Jack drawled. "So you told him about hearing voices and things going bump in the night and he told you what you wanted to hear."

"No, actually, Jack, I didn't."

By now they had arrived at Daniel's car. "I'll see you back at the facility," Daniel said tersely, slamming his door and driving away before Jack could add any further comment.

On his drive back, Daniel gave a lot of thought to the conversation between himself and Peter. He had not, in any way, indicated that he had thought there was any kind of supernatural element to the carving. As far as the historian had been aware, Daniel had found an unusual netsuke and was asking for clarification, something the academic world did every single day. So, where did that leave him? He pulled up at a set of lights and, while he waited, he took out the contact details Peter had given him. Sophia Brightman, and a phone number and address that put her some two hours drive away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of 8

It had taken two hours and twelve minutes precisely, to reach the address Peter had given him, and now Daniel found himself reluctant to make that final journey from car to front door.

The house looked very ordinary. Not large, but not small either, with a tidy front yard and a pristine porch. The sun was edging its way down toward the horizon as evening pulled in, but Daniel hardly noticed. He had discarded his jacket on the seat beside him and now slid his hand into the pocket to retrieve the netsuke. He glanced down at it, then up to the house just yards away from his car. Fingers tightened around the precious item as he pulled himself together. Not one given to premonitions, Daniel suddenly felt that what he was about to do was a huge mistake.

Trying to shake off the strange feeling, Daniel slid out of the car and locked the door, taking a few moments to survey the front of the house again. He had no idea where this strange reluctance came from, and yet it was almost a physical barrier between him and his goal. Glancing down the seemingly empty street, Daniel checked for Jack's car, expecting to find his friend pulling up behind him. The street remained quiet.

Twenty-nine steps, one press of his finger on the bell and he heard footsteps coming toward him as he stood on the porch.

"Who is it?"

Although he could not see the person speaking, Daniel took an immediate liking to the voice. There was a hint of an accent to the softly feminine voice, which resonated in him - almost familiar.

"Hi, my name's Daniel Jackson. Doctor Peter Bryant gave me your address. I'm sorry I didn't call ahead but I hope you can help me." Daniel found himself holding his breath as he waited for her reply.

"Peter gave you my address?" The voice sounded faintly incredulous. "Describe him to me."

Daniel complied, wondering why the woman was so defensive.

A moment later, he heard the slide of bolts and the door was opened wide to reveal Sophia Brightman.

For a moment he stood in stunned silence, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Putting out a hand, he steadied himself against the door and just stared.

"Are you alright? Please, come in and sit down. I'll get you some water."

She steered him quickly into her living area, and left him to choose a seat.

The comfortable sofa took his weight as he collapsed into the cushions. Dropping his head into his hands, Daniel closed his eyes and tried to refute what he had just seen. If Sharé had been born on this world, this is who she would be. The face, the figure, even the voice, though edged with a southern accent, screamed his dead wife. But how had his subconscious known?

He still carried Share's picture in his wallet, and he now extracted it to try and refute his memories. He was still gazing at it when his hostess returned.

"I made coffee instead, you looked as if you could do with the caffeine." She said, coming to sit beside him on the couch, and putting the cups on the table in front of her. It was then she caught sight of the photo in Daniel's hand.

"Oh dear." Sophia Brightman said quietly then turned to face Daniel. "Mr Jackson, look at me."

Daniel raised his eyes to gaze at her again, compelled by something in her voice.

"Take a good look at me," she insisted as she reached out and laid her fingers lightly over his hands. "Who do you see now?"

"I don't…" Daniel broke off in confusion. The woman he though the image of his dead wife no longer bore more than a passing resemblance. A hint around the eyes and the same generous mouth and olive complexion, but there the similarity ended.

He pulled his hands out from under her touch, straightening himself up and away from her. "I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure what happened there. I assure you I don't usually fall apart so easily," he said, trying to inject some solidity to his voice.

Ms Brightman settled back in her corner of the sofa, accepting his rejection and eying him speculatively.

"I'm surprised that Peter sent you here. He knows I don't do bereavement counselling any longer."

Daniel caught the hint of pain in her voice and shook his head. "Forgive me, we seem to have got off on the wrong foot. My fault. I'm not here for counselling, though I do need your help."

Tucking the photo away, he couldn't help but wonder why she had stopped with such a rewarding vocation. Though he hadn't voiced his question, she seemed to pick up on his thoughts and answered him.

"You must be wondering why I gave up." Her voice defensive. "I found it too hard to distance myself from my patients grief, Mr Jackson. To see someone in as much pain as you every day, day after day after day."

An uneasy silence lay between them. Daniel took out the photo again then handed it over to her. "It was your resemblance to Sharé that shook me for a moment. My wife."

Sophia took the photo and studied it carefully. "I don't really look like her at all, do I Mr Jackson. How long ago did she pass over?"

Daniel felt himself gripped by the same anguish that he had felt when his memory of her had first resurfaced. Gritting his teeth he ruthlessly suppressed them. "Long enough that I shouldn't have acted as I did." He held out his hand for the photo, and then tucked it away again.

Fishing in his outer pocket, Daniel brought out the wrapped netsuke.

"This is why Professor Bryant sent me. He feels you might be able to tell me something about it."

Sophia eyed the object but made no move to touch it. "I know nothing about carvings, Mr Jackson. I'm a secretary not an artist. I think you've wasted your time." She rose, forcing Daniel to do likewise.

Daniel hadn't expected this. To be truthful he hadn't known what to expect, but outright rejection before he had pleaded his case wasn't an option. His voice stopped her as she headed to the door.

"Peter believed there was something, or someone, trapped within this netsuke. He told me you had a gift, and that you would help me." He paused for a moment, then, in softer tones, pleaded, "Won't you at least look at it for me?"

Her hesitation was there for him to see in the way she bit her lower lip and the tension in her shoulders. He took a step closer. "Please."

Her gaze moved from his face to the netsuke on his outstretched hand, then back to the fire in his blue eyes. Sighing, she moved back to the sofa and sat down, waiting for him to resume his seat. "Tell me why you need me to read this artefact. And please, don't leave out any detail."

Daniel, eager now to persuade, leaned forward, elbows on his knees and began with, "Since I acquired this piece I've been… well, haunted I suppose best describes it. Voices, things that go bump in the night. I'm a sceptic, I admit, but something is going on and Peter felt that something could be gained by seeing you." He then went on to explain in detail the voice he had heard, the words he'd heard spoken, the moving piece, the locked cabinet, concluding with, "Peter said he had some small ability and that he picked up on something within the netsuke. He told me your gift was far superior to his."

"You don't know what you are asking me to do, "she replied reluctantly. "Yes, I can sometimes, and I must stress that it is only _sometimes_, read a history from an object. Pick up on a previous owner. But I also, in some cases, receive their emotions too. If there is a soul trapped in there…" She shook her head.

"Won't you at least try," Daniel begged, holding out the ivory figure.

"This being called you by name?"

He nodded, the netsuke still balanced on his outstretch palm in mute appeal.

She ignored the offering, her eyes searching his. "You don't expect it to be your wife, by any chance?"

"I know what you are thinking, but no. Sharé is gone beyond anyone's ability to bring back. I'm not looking for a miracle… I'm looking for an answer."

What she saw in his eyes seemed to bring her to a decision. Still reluctant, Sophia Brightman lifted the carving from his palm and settled it in her own.

"I give no guarantees," she said quietly.

"I ask for none," he replied seriously.

Daniel sat, perched on the edge of the sofa, watching intently as Sophia clasped the netsuke lightly between her palms. She sat, eyes closed for a few moments, then her eyes opened to stare intently into the distance.

"All I am getting is vague impressions. A vast distance, darkness." She shook her head in frustration. "And old, very old. Whoever left their imprint on this object did so a long time ago."

Daniel waited as patiently as he could as his companion concentrated, a tiny furrow marking her brow. Finally, she sighed, letting her shoulders relax down, releasing the tension that had taken her captive. As she did so, Daniel saw her expression change, all animation leaving her features. The fine eyes seemed to dull, as though someone had turned off her inner spirit. He was leaning toward her, anxious hands stretching out, when she spoke.

"Help me, Daniel san. Remember me. Find me. Release me."

The words that emanated from Sophia Brightman's mouth were not in her voice, but the same soft, breathy whisper that had woken him from his dreams since he had unwrapped the netsuke.

Daniel leaned forward, his hands resting over the tightly clenched fingers wrapped around the carving.

"I hear you. Tell me what to do. Help me to understand." His soft passionate voice seemed to echo in the room, though he had spoken barely above a whisper. Sophia eyes were still blank; Daniel believed the spirit was still there, though he had gained no answer.

"Please," he begged, "tell me how to help you."

As though coming from a long distance the voice replied, "Remember me, Daniel san," before fading away.

The light suddenly returned to Sophia's eyes, and Daniel was quick to see the panic there before she suddenly slid down in a faint.

"Oh no," Daniel whispered softly, then he moved quickly to lay her on the sofa, chaffing her hands whilst he talked to her gently, trying to urge her out of unconsciousness.

The next ten minutes were agony for Daniel as he dithered, not something he did well. Twice he went to reach for his mobile to call for medical help, but how would he explain what had happened. Before he could make any decision that wouldn't land him in jail Sophia began to come around.

Her eyes fluttered open, wary and a little disorientated, finally coming to rest on Daniel's anxious face where it hovered over hers. "You! What… oh God, my head hurts."

Daniel watched helplessly as she sat up, refusing his offers of assistance.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, aspirin, my head on a plate." Daniel offered.

She looked at him then, her eyes accusing, then she sighed and shook her head. "Coffee and aspirin sounds good, then I want an explanation. I've never had that happen to me before and I need to know why."

Daniel, under instruction, found his way around the kitchen and brought them both back fresh cups of steaming coffee and some cookies he'd found in a tin while searching for medication. Then he sat back in his chair and began to tell Sophia what he could about the artefact, only going so far as to say it had been found on a remote archaeological site, but leaving out nothing of his experiences with the netsuke other than it's original location. Finally, coffee and story finished, they faced each other in the gathering gloom.

"You say she asked for your help, for you to remember her?"

Daniel nodded. "I don't understand how I can. The artefact is centuries old, there is no history in my family of any links to the Orient, not even traders. My family tree goes back to Europe and the Nordic countries."

"That would explain the eyes," Sophia murmured almost to herself.

Daniel felt himself smiling almost reluctantly. He suddenly felt very comfortable in this house, with this woman. It made a pleasant change to not deal with Jack's sarcasm or Sam's almost religious belief in science. This was a problem that neither of them understood, and Daniel could not talk to them in any comfort about the fears that plagued him.

Sophia glanced up at him, a slight frown marring the smooth brow. "Tell me, you say you have other netsuke? Do you believe that they too have a spirit within them?"

It was Daniel's turn to frown. He thought back to that first night when all the figures had been displaced, it wasn't until he had put them behind glass that the female netsuke had seemed to come to the fore. His startled blue eyes met her compassionate brown gaze in sudden apprehension. "You think there may be more trapped spirits?"

"It's hard to accept, isn't it?" Sophia said quietly. "A sceptic like yourself, finding that maybe not everything is quite as black and white as you would like it to be. I gather that you are an historian at least or else you would not know Peter? Surely you must have researched myths and legends from cultures around the world. Not everything can be explained can it?"

Daniel was lost in thought and only caught the end of her words. "I'm sorry? Yes, yes I am an historian and linguist." He sighed then added, "I'd come to believe I understood the …" He stopped. How could he explain that the miracles of so many cultures could be put down to the technology of Asgard or Goa'uld?

"Bring the others to me. I'll try and read them." Sophia's voice interrupted his reverie again. He really must get a grip on his concentration.

"Thank you."

Daniel didn't see Jack's car parked up the road as he left the house, stopping only to plant a quick kiss on Sophia's cheek. Nor did he see Jack's headlights follow him to his apartment building, nor note as the four-wheel drive passed by later that night as he sat at his desk with the eleven other netsuke lined up in front of him.

He would have been surprised and irritated to learn that O'Neil had made discreet inquiries about both Peter and Sophia, and down right angry to know that the next day he had Jack tailing him once more. But Daniel's mind was not on his surroundings; he gave only enough of his attention to get him from his home to Sophia's in one piece, the rest was given to the box of twelve wrapped ivory netsuke that were resting securely in the passenger foot well of his car.

Sophia welcomed him into her home with a smile and a nod to the box in his hands. "Is that the rest?"

Daniel nodded and put the box down on the coffee table. "I brought my lady back as well, so that you can see them all together. She is the only one I couldn't find when I researched them."

"And you hope she is the only spirit," Sophia finished for him, silently acknowledging his compassion.

An hour later and they put the eleventh netsuke back into its wrapping neither unhappy that not one of the other carvings seemed to house a soul.

Daniel watched as Sophia picked up the white lady again. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"If I can learn any more to help you, then yes, I'm sure." Her hand touched his briefly as he laid the ivory piece into her palm, their eyes met in complete accord.

"Be careful," Daniel warned, even though he knew there was nothing that either one of them could do to stop whatever might happen.

Sophia concentrated with no luck, but again, as she began to relax something took hold. Fainter, less empowered, the voice begged for Daniel to help, to remember.

"I wish I could come with you, Daniel," Sophia said as they parted at her doorstep. "I think taking her home is the best thing to do. Perhaps something, or someone there can help you."

Daniel's rueful smile warmed his eyes and took some of the care from his face. "I wish you could come too, but the area is very remote and not easily accessible. It might even be dangerous. Plus I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get there. I thank you for your help; if it hadn't been for you I think I would have… Well, never mind. But thank you."

They shared a hug, but even as he turned away Sophia called him back. "You will let me know what happens won't you. I hate mysteries."

Daniel nodded. "I promise I'll be back."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of 8

It was almost a week later before Daniel thought he had a chance to carry out his plan. Jack had left the mountain only an hour before having been in and out of Daniel's room all day, in fact Jack had been a pest all week. Daniel, only partly feigning frustration with the colonel's attentions had finally almost thrown Jack out the door, begging him to let him finish his translation so that he could go home to bed like everyone else. For a moment Daniel wondered if he had somehow communicated his intentions to his team leader; Jack sometimes was too damn perceptive, but he couldn't see how anyone could guess what had been going on, let alone discover his plans. He'd made no more mention of the netsukes or the nightly disturbances that still continued. And it seemed the rest of the team had been willing to let it drop also. They'd been out on two abortive missions and Daniel had been given a huge amount of material to decipher in a script that had not been seen before. He was fascinated by the new mystery and used his work to cover his plotting.

It was nearly three in the morning as Daniel made his way up to the control room. All was quiet. There were no teams off world at the moment, the last one having returned some thirty minutes ago. SG5 was currently going through medical checks and then would be stood down until they could be de-briefed in the morning

Only one lone techie stood watch over the Stargate controls, two service men patrolled the corridors outside the Stargate room. The timing would never be better.

Earlier that afternoon Daniel had returned to the base, strolling through the checkpoint without a hitch, the netsuke nestling in the deep pocket of his comfortable old jacket. No one stopped him any more, his face a familiar sight at all hours of the day or night. Sometimes Daniel would be holed up in his office for days on end, at other times he'd leave only to return hours later when a puzzle occurred to him that only his computer at the site could provide answers to. By rights, he should have been frisked; but as nothing set off the metal detectors he had been waved through. After tonight, Hammond would insist on much tighter security.

With his most friendly smile firmly in place, Daniel ambled across the room and stood at the technician's side. "Quiet tonight," he said in a matter of fact tone. He had supplied himself with a fresh mug of coffee, and let the aroma settle in the air.

"Nothing happening until late tomorrow," came the quiet reply, even as envious eyes checked out the steaming mug.

Daniel waved his mug toward the man. "Fresh coffee, just brewed in the commissary, did you want to grab some? I'll sit here for a bit, if you'd like a break."

He could see the man waver and said brightly. "Don't worry, if the alarms start ringing I'll get help right away!"

Daniel's place on SG1, the rumours about his proficiency and the trust that everyone on the base placed on his intellect swayed the techie into relinquishing his post. "I'll be back in ten, sir."

"Take your time, I'll enjoy the quiet up here for a while." Daniel sank into the vacated chair and pulled a battered notebook from his pocket, pretending to lose himself in the hieroglyphics that skittered across the pages.

Two minutes later, when Daniel was sure that he would not be disturbed he set about programming the computer. Two minutes after that, he was standing in front of the Stargate as it dialled out. From above he could hear the vague sounds of voices yelling. It wouldn't take them long to override his lockouts, but for now he had a clear run. He pulled the netsuke from his pocket, gazing down at her serene face, then, without a backward glance, Daniel ran up the ramp and into the blue swirl of the event horizon.

Jack pulled the car to a stop outside his house and sat for a moment as the engine died. He'd been reluctant to leave the mountain, something, and he wasn't sure what, but something hadn't felt right. He shook his head; whatever it was that was bothering him would come, sooner or later.

He entered the quiet building, turning on the lights and heading straight for the kitchen. Although it was late he didn't feel like sleeping just yet, his mind wouldn't let him relax. He pulled out a beer, popped the cap and went to sit in his favourite chair in front of the empty fireplace. As he sipped at the cold beverage his mind went back over the past week's events.

After he had tailed Daniel to Sophia Brightman's house, Jack had done some research into her background. She appeared to be nothing but an ordinary woman, earning her living as a secretary and dabbling in the mumbo jumbo of the paranormal. He'd noted with interest the kiss on the cheek as Daniel had left, so maybe there was more than just this ghoulies and ghosties thing going on between them, though he'd found no hint of a prior contact between the two. He'd seen the photographs from Daniel's second visit and noted the hug. Things seemed to be progressing between them. And if that were the case then Jack was glad. Daniel had come back to too much heartbreak, and it was apparent in his face and his demeanour when he thought no one was looking. Since that second visit though, Daniel had not been back, nor had he made any mention of the strange phenomena in his apartment, and that had Jack on edge. Daniel never let a subject drop – ever. He met his problems head on and fighting. So, either this Brightman woman had sorted Daniel out, which Jack found hard to believe, or something was up.

Just before he had left that night, Jack had popped his head into Daniel's room to find the younger man surrounded by books, his eyes intent on the computer screen and a stone tablet balanced precariously at his elbow. The frustration in Daniel's eyes wasn't feigned, and he knew part of it was the fact that he'd been almost dogging Daniel's steps for days with no good reason, or so it had seemed. They'd gone on two missions, and Jack had kept one eye on Daniel making sure the younger man was alert and aware. Nothing had happened to ring warning bells, nothing except Daniel's sudden dropping, or at least his apparent acceptance, of the netsuke problem as Jack had come to term it.

Jack was startled from his reverie by the ringing of the phone.

"Ah crap," he swore softly, suddenly realising that this was what he'd been subconsciously waiting for.

Exiting the ring at speed, Daniel raced to the DHD and waited for the wormhole to disengage. Then, as fast as his fingers could move, he dialled out again, effectively blocking any incoming signal. He'd given himself a breathing space, not long, but hopefully enough to get some answers.

Running toward the building, Daniel noted that all seemed back to perfection. The path that he and the team had disturbed on their first visit had been raked over and even now he was marring its perfection.

He ground to a halt at the bottom of the steps and stared up into the dim portal that led inside. From its darkness the beautiful attendant glided forward then dropped gracefully to her knees to kowtow before him.

"Oh, no, no don't do that. I really don't have time. Please, get up, get up!" Daniel dropped to the steps. Putting the figure carefully beside him he quickly untied his laces, divested himself of boots and sock then picked up the carving and headed into the darkness of the large hall.

Again she was before him, sinking to her knees.

"Daniel san, thank you for returning and bringing my mistress home. Please excuse this humble person for speaking to you without permission but I am overjoyed at your return." This said with her forehead almost glued to the floor, though her form was graceful and held not one iota of humility.

Daniel spoke urgently, forcing the supplicant from the floor.

"Yes, I know, you're happy I'm back but I don't have much time to do whatever it is I need to do. Can you help me? How do I free your mistress from this?" Daniel waved the carving in front of the young woman's face.

"I'm sorry, Daniel san, I do not know," came the softly spoken reply. "When I contacted my mistress she said you would know."

Daniel paused. "How, how did you contact her." And in another moment, "The Stargate. The gate was activated right before this all started. How did you do that," he asked again.

By way of answer the white clad form hurried from the hall into the sunlight, took the path across to the cherry tree and then walked behind the petal strewn water to a door that Daniel had not noticed before. Without a backward glance she entered, Daniel hard on her heels.

As they stepped through his guide touched a panel on the wall and light flooded the room, settling soft shadows into far corners and leaving the central area awash with light. Against the walls were hung more paintings but these depicted things Daniel felt sure he knew. Pastel and bold, light and shadow mixed in strange patterns that teased his memory. As with his search for Amaroka's past, he knew that somewhere, buried deep, was the knowledge he needed to answer the puzzle and set a spirit free.

"Here, Daniel san."

Daniel turned to where a hanging had been pulled to one side, revealing a panel of black obsidian. It was not until he got closer that he saw the markings etched into the darkness.

Ancient.

Daniel felt a rush of unexpected disappointment as he stared at the control panel. Somewhere inside he'd obviously wanted to have his scepticism challenged, perhaps even proved wrong. But he was used to disappointment he reminded himself, as he quickly deciphered the writings. The gate symbols were all there, plus one he didn't recognise. He checked his watch; he had approximately five minutes before the SGC could dial out.

"How does this work?" he shot at the woman standing quietly at his side. "Do I just dial in the address?"

But his companion was not looking at him now, her eyes were closed and her face seemed even paler than before. "You must hurry, Daniel san. My mistress is failing."

Daniel cast a quick look at the netsuke still clasped in his hand, then laid it down on the panel as his fingers flew to dial in Earth's address.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of 8

As he keyed the first symbol etched into the cold obsidian he felt a sudden shock shoot up his arms. Pain exploded in his head even as the jolt sent him flying backwards across the room to smack hard against the opposite wall. He was unaware of the sudden stillness, the lights going out, the panicked cry of the guardian or the blood that pooled beneath his head as the rip in his scalp turned his fair hair rusty brown.

As Daniel drifted deeper into unconsciousness it seemed that hidden memories were allowed their freedom. He found himself drifting through places he had no memory of and yet they were familiar on a level he could not fathom. Glimpses of scenes appeared in his mind's eye – Jack in a cell, body and soul damaged almost beyond help; Jaffa fighting for their lives; his own ascension. Scene after scene played out before him along with the frustration so many of the interactions had caused him; and then the final confrontation between himself and Anubis. Daniel's unconscious body twitched in denial of his defeat, a moan passing softly through half open lips.

The vista changed one more, and Daniel found himself in the garden by the pool; cherry blossom drifted down to float upon the placid water, its scent filling the air.

"You came, Daniel San." The soft voice spoke from behind him.

Daniel span around to find himself face to face with a tiny woman of mature years. Her kimono was a vibrant display of colour and movement, filled with scenes of butterflies and flowers.

He frowned, feeling he should know who she was.

"You do not remember me? Think, Daniel san, you have been here before. Many times you visited me trying to help, but you were called back before I could be freed." She moved closer and laid a hand gently on his arm.

Daniel felt a strange warmth seep into him from her touch, it travelled through every nerve and fibre relaxing him into an almost dream-like state.

"Lady Mariko?" he said finally. Not sure if his memory were true or not. This whole scene was playing out like a very complicated and disorientating dream.

Tears welled in the woman's eyes; she nodded and bowed her head.

"You'll have to help me, Mariko, I don't remember what I was to do." Daniel's voice held all the frustration that he felt. He knew that whatever it was he had promised to do for this woman was important, maybe even life saving in some way and yet still his mind refused to let the necessary memories surface.

"I remember this place, this is P4…."

"No, Daniel san, this is Earth, Japan. This is the garden of my summer home." She indicated the pool with its surrounding flowers, the butterflies that busied themselves in the fragrant setting. "This is where you came to find peace, and where you found me."

The garden was quiet, but not with an unnatural stillness – with the serene quality that had brought him peace a lifetime ago.

"I came here when I was ascended," Daniel said quietly, suddenly sure of that fact if nothing else. He turned to face the woman at his side. "Why?"

Lady Mariko clapped her hands in summons, and from the covered walkway a servant ran with two mats and quickly spread them in front of the pool. Daniel's eyes followed the girl's retreating form, a frown between his eyes. Surely that had been…?

"Come, Daniel san, I will explain as best I may." Lady Mariko gestured to the mats and indicated that he should take his place there.

As Daniel dropped into a cross-legged pose, his hostess sank gracefully to her knees, spreading her kimono around her so as best to display the eye-catching design.

"Do you know what year this is, Daniel san?" Lady Mariko began.

"Yes, it's the fifth of March two thousand and..." He saw the subtle shake of her head. "It's not?"

"No, Daniel san. It is the fourth day of the cherry tree season in the eleventh year of the clan Minamoto. Today is the day I died. You were here, Daniel san, taking refuge in the garden. The souls of my ancestors had come to commune with you." Mariko indicated the butterflies that were even now hovering close to Daniel as though drawn to him. "It was time for me to go home, to fulfil my destiny among the stars. I was sent here for a short time only, but I fell in love with this place and these people; I did not want to leave."

Daniel was still trying to get his mind around the fact that he was in the past. "It's impossible. No, okay, I know it's theoretically possible but … Oh God, what did I do?" He had horrible visions of what had happened when he had confronted Anubis; the outfall of his good intentions had been almost enough to destroy him.

Lady Mariko smiled gently at him. "You did nothing wrong, Daniel san. My family in this life wanted me to stay, even though my time here was at an end. They prayed for my soul to stay with them. When I first became ill they commissioned a local artist to sculpt my likeness; she was placed by my bed in an effort to anchor me here with them. They meant well. You were here to help me ascend, Daniel san but their prayers were so fervent, so desperate I was trapped."

"In the netsuke," he finished grimly. "And I did nothing to get you out." He raked a hand through his hair in frustration, setting the butterflies to dodge away from him.

"You did what you could. You removed me from this time and place to an outpost of my family. You recreated this summerhouse for me there and you went looking for answers. You never came back, until now. It has been a very long wait," she sighed, softly.

Leaning forward, Daniel laid his hand on hers. "I am so sorry. Tell me what I can do."

"There is a panel of black. The answer lies within its depths. Summon the others and they will help."

Daniel had a sudden image of being thrown backward, of pain bursting through him, and shook his head. "I tried to use it, but it's protected."

"The answer is in that room, Daniel san. You need only remember."

The ache at the back of his head had begun to extend its hold, now it was behind his eyes sending slivers of pain to every nerve ending around his skull. He rubbed a hand over his face then pressed fingers to his temple in an effort to relieve the tension building to astronomical proportions. When he looked around again, Lady Mariko was gone, leaving him alone in the garden with only the sound of softly beating butterfly wings.

Forcing himself to rise, he made his way behind the pool to where the chamber door was hidden. It stood ajar, inviting him to enter. Pushing it further open, he entered the stillness. Lamps had been lit, throwing light onto the paintings hanging there. Again the sense of familiarity lodged itself in his brain.

Lady Mariko was standing next to one of the larger paintings. It appeared to be a symbol, but not one that Daniel recognised; Maybe a letter, or sign? Had he learned to write Japanese while ascended? He didn't know.

"You created these pieces, Daniel san. Long ago, when first you found me. They were a key, you said, should you ever forget or you had a chance to send someone to me."

The wistfulness in her voice made Daniel uncomfortable. He looked again at the splashes of colour, one after the other, trying to make sense of them in any way he could. Then one of them seemed to strike a dim memory.

"This one, is this 'home'?" his voice was urgent, the pounding in his head threatened to remove what little concentration he retained.

The old lady's brow puckered into a frown. "Yes, Daniel san. And this is 'journey', this…"

Daniel waved his hand to quieten her as his memories surged forward. "Yes, I see it." His lips twisted in wry comprehension. Turning to his companion he gave an apologetic bow. "Forgive me for being a fool, Lady Mariko. I think I know what I have to do."

Jack waited impatiently for the rest of his team to finish kitting up. One eye on the counter, he mentally ticked off the time left before they could dial out and drag Daniel back. I should have seen this coming, Jack kept thinking to himself. Daniel doesn't give up, and he's too bloody bright for his own good. He sighed and let his gaze go to the Stargate where the event horizon still blazed back at him sure that Daniel was getting himself into all sorts of trouble.

Teal'c and Carter finally arrived; all three of them had made the journey back to the mountain in record time, breaking the speed limit the whole way. Jack could only be thankful Daniel had decided to take off in the middle of the night and not during the rush hour.

The bright blue disc suddenly fizzled out and there was a flurry of activity all around the team.

"Chevron one, encoded."

"Let's move," Jack barked and led the others down to the embarkation room.

"Chevron six, encoded."

A moment later the last chevron lit up and the whoosh of the gate burst into the room. SG1 were up the ramp almost before the event horizon had steadied. Taking the incline at a fast trot, they disappeared from Earth to emerge a few moments later in the serene gardens that had captivated Daniel so short a time before.

"Keeps your eyes open," Jack warned as he and the team jogged toward the wooden structure. None stopped to discard their boots, and the heavy thud of their Air force issue echoed into the still air.

They ran quickly through the main hall's dark interior and out into the sunlit garden beyond. It was as still and quiet as before. Butterflies rose in a cloud from the cherry tree and surrounding plants, and clustered briefly about the team's head as though disoriented by their arrival. Jack ducked as a particularly large specimen seemingly dive-bombed him before the colourful cloud dispersed.

"This place gives me the creeps," Jack muttered under his breath before sending Teal'c and Sam off to inspect every corner of the building. He stood in the sunshine for a moment, letting his eyes scour every possible hiding place, as he glanced down he noted the scuffed gravel around the pool. Easing the safety trigger off his gun, he made his way carefully around the still water.

The door was well hidden, even to his trained eye. It was firmly closed and Jack hesitated for a bare moment before taking hold of the simple latch and lifting it as quietly as he could. The room beyond was in darkness. Jack switched on the torch attached to his gun and scanned the interior as quickly as he could. The walls were covered in paintings, much like those in the main hall. As his beam finished its sweep, it lit up the bloody head and body of Daniel.

"I knew it, I just knew it." Jack activated his radio. "Carter, Teal'c, I've got him."

Jack hovered over the seemingly lifeless body. Daniel had landed against the wall, his neck seemed twisted at an unnatural angle. Jack touched the pulse point in Daniel's neck, picking up a faint echo of his heartbeat. Raising one eyelid, Jack saw the unfocussed eye staring back at him.

He knew enough field medicine to not try and straighten out the twisted body, even though his hands fairly itched to do something to ease Daniel's obvious discomfort. The strange angle of his neck, the shallow fast breathing didn't encourage Jack.

Teal'c was first through the door, and Jack immediately sent him hurrying to the Stargate to get help. "Full med team, fast as you can get them here. Spinal collar, back board…" his voice was already echoing in the void left by the Jaffa's running form.

Carter passed Teal'c on his way out, his grim expression telling her that Daniel was not hale and whole. Her worst fears confirmed as she entered the gloom and saw the colonel standing guard over Daniel's inert form.

"Lights. We need lights," Jack barked out. And Carter dropped her pack to the floor, searching for the large torches that were their standard equipment. She set them around the room, lighting every corner, lifting the darkness. As a beam hit the drawn back hanging, she spotted the control panel glinting darkly back at her.

Approaching it, she reached out a hand.

Jack's voice sliced through the room, his innate sarcasm hiding his concern. "Don't touch it. We don't know what did this to Daniel. You know what he's like for touching things he shouldn't."

For a moment they both remember the mirror that had landed Daniel in another dimension. Sam withdrew her hand and turned back to where Jack still hovered over Daniel's fast fading body.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of 8

Daniel was alone in the room. He wasn't sure when Mariko had left him, or how long he'd been staring at the paintings he had done. He began to pace around the edge of the room, frustrated that now he had the key, or at least he thought he did, there was no way for him to implement it until he returned from this dream. If he did, he thought suddenly, remembering all too vividly the smack of his head against the wall that was even now making his head pound. What if he didn't make it back? A shiver ran through him, he couldn't think of that now, not when he had to find a way to reach the Ancient's outpost and the control panel.

He was staring at the symbol for home when he became aware of voices. Familiar voices. Voices that he shouldn't be able to hear in his current condition. Unless, of course, it was true what they said of coma patients? Daniel dragged his thoughts back from their diversion and turned his attention to his surroundings.

Oh boy, that did not look good. Daniel turned around and found himself facing a worrying tableau. His corporeal body lay crumpled against the furthest wall, beside it stood Jack, his face grim. Kneeling on the floor, her finger to his neck, Sam looked equally concerned.

Maybe not a coma then, Daniel thought. Maybe I'm dead – again. Not ascended. Am I? And then he became aware of someone standing close beside him; soft words filtering through his mind.

"Daniel san, we must hurry."

The maid was by his elbow, eyes pleading with him. Daniel gritted his teeth and turned away from the unsettling scene. Darkness seemed to embody the obsidian panel, and for a brief moment his determination wavered. Then a soft white hand was placed over the first symbol and Daniel laid his hand over hers, swamping it.

There was a soft chiming as, for a second, the symbol lit up with a deep amber light. As they moved to the next in the sequence, Daniel heard Jack's sharp intake of breath.

"Don't Jack, don't even think about it," Daniel murmured as he moved onward, knowing that he could not be heard.

"Carter." The colonel dragged Sam's attention from Daniel's rapidly fading body. "The panel. What the hell's going on?"

Sam came close to the glowing symbols, careful not to touch. "It's an address. Wait. Oh my God! Look, sir. There, an extra symbol." Her hand reached out instinctively. In her head she thought she heard Daniel's voice cry out a warning. Her hand stopped and she turned to look down where her team mate's body still lay crumpled on the ground.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered, looking at O'Neil. By the look on his face, he had.

"Daniel?" Jack called out, his eyes wary.

"They are coming," Daniel murmured to himself as he prepared to meet the Ancients once again. He'd stepped over the boundary – again. But they should have been there when Lady Mariko was to ascend. He had done what he had been told to do, not interfered. He had called for help then and they had ignored him, they would not ignore him now.

Jack's head jerked around as he heard a roaring noise heading toward the building. Tension filled the air making his chest hurt with the effort to breath in. Memory flooded his senses. Kheb. The Ancients. The destructive power they wielded.

"Put your weapons down, Jack. Sam. Move outside and don't interfere."

Jack span around, his eyes catching those of Carter in a question.

"I heard it too. It feels like…" Sam's eyes widened as she looked outside the door. "Trouble coming, sir."

Jack looked down at Daniel's collapsed form, torn between the need to get him clear, and the thought that somehow this was all Daniel's doing anyway. And then the voice in his head, Daniel's voice for crying out loud, urged him outside the building again.

"We're leaving. Go." Jack ordered, waving aside Carter's instinctive move toward Daniel.

Moments later Daniel was alone, with himself and the maid, in the room. The atmosphere seemed to thicken as energy flowed in through the doorway. Vague shapes hung in amorphous clouds, surrounding Daniel, closing in until he felt the pressure inside him was sure to implode. He didn't fancy the idea of splattered archaeologist over the decorated walls.

The pain in Daniel's head now throbbed rhythmically behind his eyes. Around him seven cloudy entities formed a circle. One by one they coalesced into human form. He did not recognise one of them.

The one who approached him was old, not only in his visible aspect but Daniel could sense that here was an Ancestor of truly ancient origin, maybe even one of the original Ancients.

Cold blue eyes strafed Daniel from under heavy white brows causing Daniel to wince in anticipation.

"You have summoned us. Why?"

Daniel knew that the signal he had sent indicated an emergency, an emergency that he would have justify. He drifted to the panel where Lady Mariko's netsuke still rested. "One of your own has been trapped in this figure. I tried to release her centuries ago, I failed and you refused to aid me then. I'm asking you to fulfil your obligations now, to free her from captivity."

A female answered. "It is impossible to capture us in this way. What is your true reason for calling us here?"

Daniel had known they would reject his explanation and it was now down to him to make them believe. "Is it really impossible?" he began. "If you can confine one of your own to a planet, to a specific area, why can you not be trapped within an object? It is possible, you know that it is."

From his partial recall of his time as an ascended being, Daniel knew that all was not sweetness and light within the order. There had been times when a rebellious member had been dealt with. In his case he had been returned, empty and alone, to face life as a human once again – others had not been so lucky.

Another voice spoke, younger. Daniel turned to face the orator. Before him stood a young boy barely in his teens.

"How do we know that there is a soul trapped?"

Daniel frowned. "You know there is, you know everything. I begged for help when Lady Mariko ascended and was trapped, you refused to come. You never replied to my calls." Daniel had had it drummed into him that the ascended never interfered with the lives of those less advanced than themselves, he had assumed that the silence denoted that he should leave well enough alone. It had hurt him to do so, but at that time he had not begun to question his existence on the higher plane.

The seven turned to one another in silent communication, then the old man who had first spoken turned to Daniel once again.

"We do not change the lives of lesser beings."

Frustration welled in Daniel, his voice rose. "She is one of you. Not as I was, a human allowed to ascend, she's an Ancient! Will you leave one of your own trapped for eternity? I knew you were selfish, but this cruelty goes beyond that. I was forced to stand by and watch while my friends went through hell. I could have helped them, but I didn't. I stuck to your code of conduct."

"But not for long," replied the Ancient before him.

"She is one of your own," Daniel ground out. "Help her, or have you forgotten the compassion of your mortal lives."

The icy blue eyes turned to where the netsuke lay against the control panel. Reaching out, the ancient picked up the carving, his eyes closing for a brief moment. Then, as they opened again the seven seemed to communicate once more.

It was the young boy who spoke first. "You speak truly, Daniel Jackson. She will be restored to us."

The seven began to change, resuming their misty state. The netsuke had been placed on the floor and now the mists began to mingle, flowing in a tight eddy around the sculpture. Daniel though the pain in his head had been bad before, now it escalated to unbearable proportions. He heard himself scream out in pain then all was darkness once again.

Jack and Carter waited impatiently outside the room, Teal'c had rejoined them along with a medical team. All paced and fidgeted desperate to return to Daniel. The charged atmosphere was almost palpable and Jack felt his anxiety rising with each minute they had to wait. The butterflies had settled themselves among the petals of the cherry tree, as though they too were waiting for something. Their unnatural stillness another element that set Jack's teeth on edge.

Then they all heard the scream. As one SG1 ran into the room, weapons ready even though they knew they would be useless against the ancients within.

Guns were ripped from their grasp and the team found themselves flattened to the floor by an invisible force that crushed the breath from their bodies. They struggled to no avail. Jack managed to raise his head slightly, the muscles in his neck bulging with the effort. Ahead of him a mini tornado dominated the room, its touchdown point bare inches away from Daniel's collapsed body. Cursing, Jack tried again to inch his way toward his team-mate.

And then it was over. The sudden release of his body was almost as overwhelming as the loss of control had been. Jack scrambled up and ran to Daniel, fingers easing inside his collar to feel for a pulse. Sighing with relief he caught the erratic beat under his fingers. And then someone touched his shoulder sending a cold shiver down his spine.

Gazing down at him was the serene face of an elderly Japanese woman. Her grey streaked hair pulled back from her face emphasising the perfect bone structure. Her kimono was fully of brilliant colours and designs, but it was the compassion in her eyes that held him still.

She moved past him to lay one tiny hand on Daniel's forehead, then the other over his heart. Jack heard Daniel give a soft sigh before sliding further down the wall to lay prone on the floor. She looked up and caught Jack's eyes and smiled. "Watch over him," she said softly before turning away.

Jack watched in silence as she joined the others her body losing its coherence as they flew out of the door. Carter was at his side then, both listened to the sudden crunch of the Stargate, then silence.

"Med team, get in here now!"

Daniel felt hands on him, heard the soft commands of Doctor Ishito as she directed her team. He opened his eyes, blinking at the sudden stream of light that shone directly at him.

"Colonel, he's awake."

Then Jack's face hovered over his. "Daniel, you okay?"

Daniel tried to nod his head, only to find that they had put a collar on him, to avoid neck movement. "Yes, what happened… oh…"

"Lie still, let the medics finish, then you and I are going to have a talk." Jack turned away from him, anger surging now that he knew Daniel would be okay. Oh yes, they were going to have a long, intense talk about responsibility and the adding of grey hairs to his commanding officer's head.

"Get me up, I'm okay, look!" Daniel waved his arms in the air causing the med team to back away from him. "Jack, what happened? Jack!"

O'Neill kept on walking, ignoring Daniel until he could control his anger. He strode to the pond, butterflies flew in every direction away from him, then one returned to hover in front of his face. "Don't you start," Jack muttered under his breath, then turned back to enter the room. "Doc, is he fit enough to get off the floor?"

Doctor Ishito nodded curtly, sniffed loudly then called her team to follow her outside. Jack held down a hand and helped Daniel up knowing the young man was not going to let up until he knew what had gone on.

Ten minutes later Carter poked her head inside. "Sir, General Hammond wants an update."

Jack and Daniel shared a glance. "On our way."

"So, it's over then. No more chasing spooks in the night, no running off to psychics, no appropriating the Stargate without permission? Right?"

Daniel nodded slowly, his head still aching even though he'd bullied Ishito into giving him two Tylenol before departing. "Lady Mariko is back where she belongs. I don't doubt that. Yes, I think it's over."

Daniel glanced around the room one last time, then spotted the netsuke lying on the floor. He moved quickly to pick it up, checking that it was not damaged in any way. It seemed no different than before, it still felt slightly warm but he knew that was the nature of the ivory it had been carved from. Daniel caught Jack's eye on him, and slid the piece into his pocket, nodding as though agreeing with Jack's unspoken thought.

The two men walked out into the sunlight, Teal'c and Carter were waiting by the gravel path the med team having already left. Daniel looked around him, taking in the torn up path, the scattered petals. He looked over to Jack. "Give me a minute, Jack?"

O'Neill gave him a searching glance, then nodded. "Gate, five minutes." Gathering the others he marched out without a backward glance.

Daniel returned his attention to the pool, dropping to his knees to touch the water. As the silence returned to the garden, he let the peace fill his soul again. It was done. Mariko was safe; he'd finally fulfilled his promise to release her. He let his eyes close and his thoughts drift into nothing. When he opened them again he was surrounded by butterflies of various sizes and hues. Feeling not the least bit foolish he whispered softly to them. "She's safe." One by one they came and rested on him until his arms and shoulders were awash with colour.

He rose as the butterflies flew away, as though their leaving had released him in some way.

As he entered the great hall the servant girl was once again in his path. She sank gracefully to her knees, bowing her head.

"Why did you need me?" he asked quietly. "You could have called them any time. They would have come to you as surely as to me."

With her eyes still glued to the floor, she replied. "No Daniel san, it was your promise to keep."

He crouched down before her, one finger under her chin to force her to meet his eyes. "What will you do now? I can take you through the gate, send you wherever you need to be."

She smiled at him then. "But I don't exist, Daniel san." And as she spoke the warmth of her skin disappeared from his finger and he found himself crouched on the floor alone.

Daniel pulled up outside Sophia's house just as the sun disappeared from the sky. The lights were on in welcome and as he shut the car door he saw her standing in the doorway.

Smiling, he walked up the path to be gathered into a quick hug.

"You brought her with you?" Sophia asked as she sat opposite him in the living room.

Daniel brought out the netsuke. He'd been back two weeks now, and there had been no resumption of the night-time activities. The netsukes had remained locked behind glass, and no voice had called to him in the middle of the night.

He brought out the sculpture and laid it in Sophia's hand. Her fingers skimmed its surface, her eyes closed in concentration. She smiled and opened them again. "Nothing, nothing at all."

Daniel took it back and dropped it into his coat pocket. He'd had two weeks to think of how to tell this lovely woman how Lady Mariko had been freed, it was not going to be easy.

"I don't suppose you have any coffee?"

Sophia eyed him speculatively, noted the gleam in his engaging blue eyes and nodded. "Yes, I have the feeling this is going to need a fresh pot."

The end.

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